Consumer products, for example mobile telephones, mobile navigation systems, mobile gaming devices and mobile media players, are looking for new input methods. Input methods in two dimensions, for example via a so-called touch panel, are commonly used today. The next natural step is to utilize the third dimension for input purposes. Utilizing the third dimension for input purposes can be realized for example by sensing a force being applied by a user on the touch panel in a perpendicular direction to the plane of the touch panel. Thus, a first and a second dimension are sensed by a touch position on the touch panel and the third dimension is sensed by the force being applied at the touch position. For sensing the force being applied to the touch panel, the touch panel or the display underneath the touch panel may be supported by force sensitive sensors. However, this may add additional costs to the product and may increase the size of the product.
Therefore, there is a need for sensing a force being applied to a touch panel or a display optimized in cost and installation space.